More than a dream - moving to AK (Anchorage, Fairbanks: real estate, housing)

[dogpiledogs]

Ok, here's my "thread" - and it will be decided between me and God eventually, but I still love hearing from others who have been there. I currently live in VA. Have always lived in the woods in privacy and alone with my dogs. However, do enjoy going out to Starbucks and dinner. etc. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE snow and cold weather and am sick of the heat and humidity. Lived in the Adirondacks in Upstate NY for a few years and made the biggest mistake of my life by moving away, but I was young and dumb....still searching. Now that I can retire in a few years....want to move to Alaska. But, here's the rub. I live in a custom built one-room house here, rustic and Adirondack-y with a wood stove, etc. and love everything about it. But, when I retire and am 70, don't want to be cleaning gutters and mowing grass....or shoveling snow. What sounds ideal to me is a condo in Fairbanks (with all the outside maintenance taken care of - remember I'll be 64+ when I move in a few years) where I can still hit the road, hike the trails, kayak the rivers, etc, all around me. Does that sound reasonable to you guys - and especially you older ones - who live there now? I'm a gal and her dogs - will always have a few dogs so will need a condo that allows them. But, I just don't want the way out in the woods scene in AK where I'm totally isolated when the snow gets deep, the elec goes out (if I even have elec) or the pipes freeze. I've done all that thru the winters in VA and it doesn't even get to single digits here! But, I want the way out in the woods available when I want to enjoy the reasons I moved there. As I get older and will be even older when I move, I'm thinking a condo would be the best of both worlds - all thoughts and opinions welcomed. Thanks for listening!

[Arcticthaw]

I think your basic premise is a good one. I would suggest you consider a short winter trip here to test the weather and area. Late Feburary and Early March are nice times to visit. The weather is warmer in the day yet can be minus 20 at night. Winter carnival is happening (Ice Alaska Home), and the town is starting to liven up after the real cold. Something to consider is the long dark winters. Well not black dark just not lots of sunlight. In December we are down to around 4 hours of possible daylight. Sticker shock in the realestate marked is happening right now also. I think the prices are over inflated and they are coming down a bit this summer. There are one or two condos that cater to seniors. For Realestate look at Realtor.com They have lots of listings. Also most realtors here have their own web page.

By the way the day to night tempatures here can vary up to 70 degrees so if you have arthritus or such this may play havoc with your joints. On the plus side the humidity in the winter is like 30% relative to tempature. Which means with a nylon carpet or couch you might jumpstart your car or heart with the arc one can produce. I tend to have my keys in hand to let the arc jump from key to doorknob.

I hope this helps a bit and gives you more ideas.

[rotorhead]

quote: "LOVE, LOVE, LOVE snow and cold weather"

Sounds like you're moving to the right place.

A couple of thoughts...

Fairbanks would probably be a good choice, but then so would southcentral AK. Keep in mind that even in the heart of Anchorage, you're only 10-15 minutes away from good hiking trails in the Chugach and less than an hours drive to lots of trailheads that lead to some fairly remote areas. Anchorage itself is also criss-crossed with parks and trails, used for everthing from bicycle races to cross-country skiing. Even in Alaskas biggest city, civilization is a very thin strip along the coastline and a tiny thread along the roads. When you see it from the air you realize that the land up there is HUGE, mountains and trees and a surprising amount of bare rock once you get even a short distance away from the ocean. Its not at all like back East in the lower 48 where you can't get away from civilization and farms and such, once you're outside of the urban areas it's a long, long way till you hit people again. Along the very few highways there are a number of funky little towns that are out of the big city(Anchorage is Alaskas only "big" city) but still near enough to fairly easily access the amenities you're talking about. Spots like Talkeetna or Girdwood come immediately to mind, it all depends on what you have to spend on a place and how remote you really want to be.

Keep in mind that condos aren't very common at all outside Anchorage, they're mostly a reaction to the skyrocketing land prices in the mostly developed and hemmed-in "Anchorage bowl". You'll also find some in Fairbanks, and maybe a few in a select handfull of the larger towns. Condos in Anchorage tend to be pretty jammed in against their neighbors and a lot of them have very small yards (if any) and very limited or non-existant parking for boats, second cars, snowmachines, etc. If you DO go the condo route, make sure that it has a good association thats adequately funded and not in legal trouble with its homeowners.

Stay away from anything thats listed as a "site condo", they're a relatively recent result of developers taking advantage of a loophole in the regs where they were legally allowed to skimp on such amenities as adequate parking, snow removal space, and fire dept. access routes. To make matters worse, they were also built with CC and R's that require little or no association fee (makes them cheaper to buy and easier to qualify for). That means that there will be NO maintenance reserve for common property, and if you want anything done to fix them up you've gotta convice all the other (typically low income or absentee landlord) owners to pitch in...fat chance. They've closed down that particular loophole already, but a few places got built that were 'grandfathered' under those rules and are in the process of rapidly going to pot. As a real estate agent told me while we watched one under construction "there's Anchorage's next slum". Any reputable agent will steer you clear of them, and they're increasingly easy to pick out as they look worse and worse.

If you decide that Anchorage or Fairbanks are not for you, you might find that small town life might be. You probably won't find a condo exacly, with its official homeowners association and mandatory fees and such. You will in all probability find friendly neighbors who know someone thats looking for some winter work and will be happy to plow your driveway for a fee. Likewise with shoveling show, chopping wood, keeping an eye on the place when you're gone, etc. There's always someone looking for odd jobs wherever you live, you just have to ask around until you find the right someone.

[dogpiledogs]

Gosh, what great feedback! I really appreciate all your input - I realize all the research in the world doesn't tell it like it really is the way folks actually living there can. I agree - trips to different areas are necessary. Have to admit, I've only been once - and discovered the area that doesn't interest me as far as living there, but of course, it was in Alaska, so how bad could it be?? Have plane tic to come again soon and will come more often as date of retirement draws closer.

So far, nothing I've heard discourages me - hope it isn't a "head in the sand" attitude that's making me filter out all the bad and just hear the good. But, hey, I'm flexible and, since it's just me and my dogs to consider - if I don't like where I land after a few years, we'll pick up and go again. All I've read about Michigan sounds great too. But, this dream of living in Alaska will have to addressed first. And, small town living nearer Fairbanks may be the best choice.

I'm actually considering Fairbanks for the very reasons folks are warning me against - true cold and dark (sounds depressing, but invigorgates me!). As soon as VA goes off Daylight Saving Time in the Fall, it's heading into my time of the year!

Please continue posting comments - all advice taken to heart! Thanks again.

[Arcticthaw]

You might like these links.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Fairbanks news paper.

adn.com | Alaska News, Jobs, Cars, Homes, Rentals, Classifieds and more Anchorage news paper.

State of Alaska Home Page State of Alaska home page

Fairbanks North Star Borough the boroughs (county) home page.

There are also a few incentives to help senior citizens stay in state.
Reduced rate on city trash pick up. large exemption on property tax. Currently we don't have a sales tax though they keep trying.

The housing market is such you can go from a dry cabin with lights and oil heat to your condo depending how much work you want to do to keep warm and clean!. When you look at the Newsminer be sure to look at the clasifieds and the housing market. Most people have a case of sticker shock. LAtely the market has been tight with a buildup of Military. That is slowly aleiviating but the prices are up. The local light and water companies have also put in for rate increased due to costs of fuel and such. I guess around 5% a year for a few years.

The most important thing to remember when its -40 and starting the second week of it ( usually only last that long anyway.) and your getting cabin fever real bad is that Paradise is only 6 hours away! Can you say Aloha?!

One thing I have learned to do in the winter is make sure I get about 15 minutes of possible natural light a day. This seems to keep the body clock on schedule and the brain funtioning mostly normal.....

[Out of Alaska]

I think you're made for life up here!

One small thing to touch base with... medical care in Fairbanks isn't 'top notch' - in that it isn't accessible - we just added a cardiologist (that's ONE for the entire top-half of the state...) to the hospital and a lot of other specialities aren't represented at all. Just incase.

HOWEVER - lots of great vets!!!!

[cobolt]

I think you should go for it---the move. I've been to SE AK more than I can count and totally fell in love with the area (despite its endless days of cloudy gloom). Visiting the SE has prompted me to explore more areas of AK to find out just what is right for me. If the idea of moving to AK is looming in your head, I would arm myself with as much knowledge as possible and then pay a few visits. You will really get a feel for the area once you do that. No amount of research or forums can shore up the amount of info you will gather when you come and see for yourself.
cobolt

[greta.gresli]

Hi, I'm from Sitka, AK which in south eastern AK, and absolutely love it there. However for me, I'm looking to start my career so I had to get to more of a metro area. In my opinion, Fairbanks is not the best place in AK. It's much too cold and the weather changes are too crazy. I also think that it seems a little plain. Southern AK has more greenery, and more stability. Sitka is beautiful in that you get snow in the winter, but it never gets too cold, summer is warm, but not hot. I would look into different areas before making that move. I remember how expensive it is to move in or out of AK.

As for myself, my husband and are are looking in to moving to the central US area. Don't know where we want to go yet, so any suggestions would be helpful!

[cobolt]

Yes the SE is gorgeous---easy to fall in love with the place and the people! Greta--what are you looking for as far as moving to central US? Maybe if you give me an idea of what you are looking for careerwise, weather, etc then it might be easier to suggest some areas.

[Sunset_Va]

Out of Alaska

I think you're made for life up here!

One small thing to touch base with... medical care in Fairbanks isn't 'top notch' - in that it isn't accessible - we just added a cardiologist (that's ONE for the entire top-half of the state...) to the hospital and a lot of other specialities aren't represented at all. Just incase.

HOWEVER - lots of great vets!!!!

That is something I have always been curious about, and wonder if either you or another person living either in Fairbanks or AK can expand on:

What is the quality/quantity of Oncologists and Radiation Specialists in the treatment of Cancers?

For example if you were diagnosed with cancer, would you have to go to say..Anchorage? or fly out to Seattle (eg) for any type of drastic treatments such as Chemo/Radiation?

I would think at even some of the smaller hospitals and clinics there would be some basic Cancer treatment physicians. But, I am always reading about people that have to go to the lower 48 for certain cancer treatments.

Thanks, I just have been curious about that topic.

And I sent you a message , dogpiledogs!